Man has been struggling to please God with his religious activities ever since he was created. He uses his time, money, energy and whatever he could do to come up to the standard of God. But he becomes a failure all over again by ending up in a counterfeit religious satisfaction. Man is created in such a way that he is not complete till he has God in him. All through the history, all efforts of man to please God with his own activities proved a failure.
We see a man in the Bible, who could have been a total failure, if he had not seen Jesus. He was judged by a human judge and was sentenced to death because of his wrong doings. His did not get an opportunity to do anything good which qualify him to please God in all his life, yet was given a beautiful time with Jesus in Paradise. He finds salvation and eternal life whilst on the cross, just by acknowledging his iniquities and transgressions to God. The whole universe witnessed a miracle that day that the holiest man ever lived on earth (Jesus Christ) walking with the most sinful man in Paradise.
This is a man who was crucified along with Jesus and another thief as we read in the Bible. He was a criminal to the point that he must have done something terrible to face the worst–ever punishment of crucifixion. He must have killed many, robbed many, cheated many. His life was full of sin and corruption. He had not done a single good thing in his whole life. His whole life was a waste. He lived a selfish life on his own way. He did not bother whether his life would trouble others. Finally, he did receive what he deserved. He was sentenced to death by crucifixion. Nobody ever could give a good word about him. Now he is on his way to hell. He was nailed on the cross.
Another man, possibly his friend, was also on the cross receiving the punishment for his sinful deeds. Both of them were hung on either side of Jesus. In the midst of the unbearable pain and shame, one cried out with cursing and swearing. He was cursing, shouting, yelling at everyone around him in pain and physical agony. He hurled insults at Jesus “if you are the son of God save yourself and us”. In another words, he was justifying himself and blaming others that he did not deserve this punishment at all.
The other man, though he was equally punished, rebuked his friend saying, “Don’t you fear God. We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man (Jesus) has done nothing wrong”.
Then he turned his head and cried out to Jesus, “Jesus, remember me when you come in to your kingdom”. Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).
What qualified this criminal to enter in to Paradise?. His honesty!. His honesty in acknowledging his sins. He did not blame anybody. He said, he deserved the punishment. He could have blamed his parents for not having brought him up in a good way, he did not blame his friends for influencing him to their bad company, he did not blame his circumstance which made him a killer, a robber and a notorious criminal, he did not blame the judge who sentenced him to death, but he took all the blame by himself. He accepted 100% of guilt himself. He said, he deserved to be punished. The Bible says “…..surely you (God) desire truth in the inner parts” (Psalms 51:6). God, the Father in heaven, opened his heart to know Jesus at that very moment. God has revealed Jesus, the only way of salvation, to him. He cried out to Jesus in mental agony. What was he trying to say to Jesus, “Lord, I am not worthy to call upon you. I have messed up my life so terribly. I have never, not even once, remembered you in my whole life. I was given a beautiful life to live but I made a mess of it. But I know you now, my Lord. You are compassionate, forgive my sins and transgressions, O’ Lord…” God accepted the cry of his heart.
God expects the same from everyone. No matter, how deep we are fallen, no matter how much we may have failed or how much we may have made a mess of things, God can still make something glorious out of our lives. God’s ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. The Bible says, “…For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9). God can fulfill His perfect plan through a man who has failed repeatedly, provided he has to believe God can make it. Only a broken man or woman can walk in humility and never ever despise or look down on others. Do you believe God can save you?. He saved me…He gave me a new life. Jesus Christ does not change people. But He makes people new. He made me new. He gave me a new heart and a new spirit (Ezekiel 36:26). I would never want to be what I had been. His love has gripped me. My friend, you will not regret, if you give your life to Jesus Christ. You may say, God doesn’t love you and He can’t help you. This is a deception that you agree with the devil. You will find out in the Eternity that there will be many there who had messed up their lives so badly in earth and believed in the promises of God and were remade by God to be blessings to many. We will hear testimonies in heaven as how God has fulfilled his perfect plans through some one-time notorious criminals on this earth who had submitted themselves to the invitation of God by believing that Jesus Christ could forgive their sins and make them new for God’s eternal purposes. When we say ‘YES’ to His promises, they come to pass in our lives. In the Scriptures we see, Jesus said to the blind men, “.. According to your faith be it unto you” (Mathew 9:29). Listen to God, he will make you someone new!.
God says “As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live. Turn! Turn from your wickedness, O people of Israel! Why should you die?” (Ezekiel 33:11)
Jesus came to save the lost. Learn of Jesus. He said, “….him that come to me I will in no wise reject” (John 6:37). No one can have perfect rest in his heart unless he comes to God. Nothing in this world can make us secured or at peace. Look around and see, how people are struggling and trying to make themselves happy. Do they succeed?. No!..Never!…Efforts of man without God is a failure (Psalms 127:1-2)
Those who have ears let him hear..
Renji George
Disciple of Jesus Christ